Sled-type fishing line sinker



Feb. 27, 1951 H. H. HUFFORD SLED-TYPE FISHING LINE SINKER Filed Jan. 23,1950 Inventor Harold H; Hufford Wave; 6 M518) Patented Feb. 27, 1951 Iit UNITED \STATES PATENT Orrin SLED-TYPE FISHING LINE SINKER Harold H.Huiford, Warren, Ohio, assignor of thirty-three and one-third per centto Charles Kozup, Warren, Ohio Application January 23, 1950, Serial No140,011

The present invent on relates to certa n new and u e ul improve ents inespecially constructed fishing line sinkers and has more particular re eence to a nove sled unit which carries a pendulously mounted lead orequivalent sinker and which causes the line and fishing hooks to come tothe surface when the l ne is being retreved in order to prevent loss ofsuch hooks by beco ing entangled with weeds, rocks, logs and the like.

As the open ng state ent of the invention implies, it is not new, in theclas of sinkers, to attach a singer to a retrieving sled, or to providethe sinker w th wings, fins, or the lke to cause sar e to ride to thesurface and to minimize the likelihood of t e tac"le getting caught onlogs and the like. Des te efforts of my predecessors and contemporariesto a tly solve the problem of retrieving tac le in its most intactstate, it is beleved that the full rob em still rema ns unsolved. It isobvious, therefore, that in carrying out my special aims, I have evolvedand produced a novel and practical sinker sled or mount in which users,as well as manufacturers, will find their most essential needs fullymet, contained and appropriately available.

Briefly, one phase of the invention has to do,

w th a retrieving sled wh ch is characterized by simple aquaplanes, thesinker being pendulously mounted on the trailing ends of said planes.

Then, too, nove ty is predicated on the stated sled wherein there aretwo such planes, the forward and rear portions of which are spacedapart, the sinker be ng swingably mounted between the spaced rear endportion and there being a novel line eye un t or ada ter hingedlymounted on the spaced leading ends.

Other objects and advanta es w ll become more readily apparent from thefollowing descrintion and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the accom anying sheet of drawings, wherein l ke numerals areemployed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sinkerequip-ped sled constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale, taken on thesection line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sinker per se.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguish- 2 Claims. (01. 43-4437) 1.2 ing numerals and accompanying lead lines, the overall structure maybe said to be broadly characterized by three parts or units; namely, thesled 6, sinker unit 8 and line adapter un t Ill.

The sled unit is a simple dual plane structure characterized by dulicate cornnlemental planes I 2 and I 4, often su tably described, Ibelieve, as surf-type aquanlanes. Each p ane is fiat and of generalrectangular form and the med an longitudinal inner edge portion l6 ofthe lane i2 is provided with a connect ng tongue 58 which is welded orotherwise joined as at 20 to the edge 22 of the plane I4. The trailinged e of each plane is straight across, as at 24, and these edges are atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the body portion. The leadingor fronting ends are rounded and substantiallv semi-circular in form, asshown at 26-26. Thus, the sled i5 is a miniature aquaplane made up ofinterconnected spaced planes resembling surf-boards. The leading endportions have transverse bends 28 and 30 which conioint y provide satsfactory bearings for laterally bent journals 3232 on the fishing lineada ter II). This is a swingably mounted member which is fashioned froma single length of wire bent upon itself to form an eye 34 and opposedlimbs 36 and 38 which are fashioned at their free ends into theaforementioned lateral journals 32-32. The limbs swing freely betweenthe spaced forward end portions of the planes l2 and 4. The eve extendsbeyond the leading edges or ends 2525 to promote conven ence ofconnection with the fishing line (not shown).

The sinker unit 8 is of lead or appropriate weighty material and thesinker proper is lobeshaped as at 40 and has a ball member whereby it isappropriately joined to a rocker shaft having its end portions orjournals AZ and M rockably mounted in the bearin s provided by thecomplemental bends 46 and it in the trailing ends of the planes I2 and I4.

In practice, it is obvious that the twin plane sled is swingably hitchedor harnessed to the fishing line by the self-adapting adapter Ml, thatthe sinker is freely swingable, in pendulous fashion, on the trailingend of the sled. Portions of the adapter and sinker operate in the spaceexisting between the inner longitudinal edge portions I 8 and 22 of theplanes l2 and is.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described apreferred embodiment of the invention, the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a sled embodying a pair ofduplicate spaced parallel rectangular plates defining complementalsurf-planes, a line adapter hingedly mounted on the leading end portionof said sled, and a sinker pendulously mounted on the trailing endportion of said sled, said sinker having a rocker shaft and said planeshaving bearings in which end portions of said rocker shaft arejournaled.

2. A sinker of the class shown and described comprising a pair ofcoplanar substantially fiat rectangular plates arranged in spacedparallelism and having edge portions joined together, said platesproviding sledding planes, the rear trailing transverse end portions ofsaid plates being provided with bearings, a rocker shaft journaled forrotation in said bearings, a sinker on the intermediate portion of therocker shaft operable in the space adjacent rear end portions of saidplates, the forward ends of the plates having bearings, and a lineattaching device having journals operable in the last-named bearings.

HAROLD H. HUFFORD.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Groza June 21, 1949Number

